Conan the Bold
is a Conan novel by John Maddox Roberts. Synopsis Recently recovered from wounds sustained during an adventure in Pictland, Conan has been nursed back to health by a family in south-western Cimmeria. The novel begins with Conan on a hunting expedition, wrestling with the possibility of marriage to the eldest daughter of that family, Naefa; his heritage and lust warring against his wanderlust. However, while Conan is away, a band of slavers led by one Taharka of Keshan attacks the family's steading. Hopelessly outnumbered, and following Cimmerian custom, the men kill their respective wives, and Naefa, to prevent the women from being enslaved, before slaying as many of the enemy as possible. Thankfully, all the younger children were visiting another family at the time of the attack. Naefa's father drives his spear, wet with the blood of his wife and daughter, into the frame of the doorway to his home, an unspoken request to other Cimmerians to bury his family and avenge their death. Suffering heavy losses and with no slaves to show for it, Taharka leads his band back to Aquilonia and easier pickings. Conan follows them, tracking the bandit's depredations to a small town where he meets Kayla, a swords-woman. As a child, Kayla's mother, a rich widow, was tortured and murdered by one Axandrias of Aquilonia, years before he joined forces with Taharka. Mutilated and left for dead, Kayla swore vengeance on the man and so accompanies Conan on his hunt, despite his initial objections The trail grows hot, then cold a number of times with battles and escapes. In addition to the mortal struggle, we also learn that Taharka and Conan are unwilling/unwitting chess-pieces of warring god-like powers in a cosmic battle for dominion over the earth in the coming centuries. Together, Conan and Kayla cross Aquilonia, Ophir, Koth and Shem all the way to the River Styx and, after approximately nine months, achieve their ultimate confrontation with their respective nemeses. At the story’s end, Conan’s destination is unknown. Characters * Conan * Halga - south-western Cimmerian Elder * Naefa - marriagable daughter of Halga * Tahatch - warrior of the Great Valley Picts * Dermat - Halga's oldest son * Murcha - Halga's second son * Taharka of Keshan - primary antagonist * Axandrias of Aquilonia - secondary antagonist, member of Taharka's band * Murtan and Balan of Bossonia - bowmen in Taharka's band * Gunter and Wolf of Gunderland - bandits in Taharka's band *Kayla of Aquilonia - a.k.a. "Mad" Kayla. Female warrior. Secondary protagonist *Rario - Aquilonian horse trader/fence *Kuulvo of Hyperborea - tertiary antagonist, member of Taharka's band *Vulpio - knife juggling/throwing entertainer *Ryula - Vulpio's wife and felow performer in his knife throwing act *Hurrapa - illusionist entertainer and secret priest of the Ancient Ones *Gorbal - leader of the entertainer troupe to which Vulpio and Ryula belong *Hazdral - master of a caravan *Burra - chief guard of Hazdral's caravan *Parva of Corinthia - minor bandit in Taharka's band *Hyras and Nargal of Zamora - minor bandits in Taharka's band *Pushta - minor bandit in Taharka's band *Amyr - captian of the barge Pride of Luxur *Ra-Harakhte - Shemitish bulk-goods fence Locations * South western Cimmeria * Northern Aquilonia - un-named town * Croton, border town of Aquilonia and Nemedia. Karutonia name. Location of a small temple to The Ancient Ones * Leucta, town in Ophir. Lies at the junction of three major roads and a number of minor ones * Southern Ophir - un-named town *Koth *Shem *Pashtun, large island (and town) in the middle of the River Styx *Khopshef Province, Shem. West of Pashtun on the River Styx *Nakhmet, small town in Shem (Khopshef province) on the north bank of the RIver Styx *Ashabal, town in Shem (Khopshef province) on the north bank of the RIver Styx *Un-named, small island near the Stygian (southern) shore of the River Styx. Location of a large temple to The Ancient Ones Continuity Notes Age: Conan was 15 at Venarium REH. As the novel opens, it is summer-time and only a few seasons after the sack of Venarium. He would either be 16 years old or about to turn that age. Recent Travels: '''He has already left his family, tribe, sept and clan in Northern Cimmeria to adventure with the Æsir against the Vanir and we learn that he has travelled to the Pictish coast. '''Knowledge of Civilization: At the start of the novel , "The young Cimmerian was suspicious of the devious ways of civilization." and, "...was young and inexperienced in the ways of civilized men..." As this is the first time Conan traveled south of Cimmeria (eratta: last chapter of Conan of Venarium), he doubtless learns much about the language and culture of many Hyborean nations during the course of the novel. Kayla, his travelling companion, had a wealthy family that provided her a "decent education," and it is unlikely that Conan could have successfully navigated so far across the continent without her help and tutoring (although none is discussed in the novel). Knowledge of Organized Religion: '''"He had met priests of Mitra, and of other gods, who were no worse than other men. His own god was Crom, who had no preisthood." Priests of Mitra could easily have travelled Cimmeria during Conan's youth, seeking converts. He had likely met Æsir preists and perhaps even Vanir priests. Having spent a short time in Pictland it is possible he had even met a Pictish Shaman, although it is unlikely he would lump them into the category he was discussing. Conan Sees a number of temples, as well as the pyramids of Stygia from a distance. '''Languages: it is interesting to note that, at the beginning of the novel, Conan speaks fluently with a pict. Shortly thereafter, Conan speaks rather fluently with Acquilonians and, upon reaching Croton, he speaks with, "...many traders and caravaners...from peoples of many nations..." In Jewels of Gwahlur, REH seggests that Conan easily picks up languages. He must have learned Aquilonian from the wandering preist(s) of Mitra (see above) or perhaps traders from that nation. Conan would certainly know how to converse with the Æsir after adventuring with them and, in The Frost Giant's Daughter (both Marek and Rippke list that as the first Conan story in their separate chronologies), he knows enough Vanir to taunt his opponent. Fuana: Conan sees camels for the first time at Croton. 'Continuity Errata: '''Although the novel is entertaining, many have found it difficult to "fit" this novel into a chronology of Conan's life. In his famous letter to P. Schuyler Miller of 10th March, 1936, REH states that Conan was 15 at sack of Venarium and that there was "...about a year between Venarium and his entrance into the theif-city of Zamora." He also states that, after Venarium, Conan returned north to his Clan and that his first journey outside of Cimmeria was north to fight alongside the Æsir against both the Vanir AND then the Hyperboreans before he travelled to Zamora. During this time he developed a hate for Hyperboreans that lasted all his life and later influenced his policies as King of Aquilonia. Conan the Bold, prior to the main narrative, has Conan adventuring in Asgard, Vanhiem, the Pictish Coast and then through Pictland to Southern Cimmeria where the novel begins, "a few seasons" afer Venarium, then for about 9 months across the course of the Novel. That would mean that, a year after Venarium, Conan was still in the middle to latter half of Conan the Bold, instead of travelling to Zamora. Even if we are to interperet Howard's "about a year" very liberally to mean 2 winters or just under 2 years, the peices still do not fit. Even if Conan returned home immediately after this novel's climax, immediately continued north (again) to Asgard to adventure against the Hyperboreans, it would already be 2 springs after Venarium. It is feasible that he could still travel to Zamora before he was 17, but there would be very little time to develop the hatred for Hyperboreans that REH spoke of. But keep in mind that Legions of the Dead (by DeCamp et.al.) takes place with the Æsir against the Hyperboreans in ''late fall, when Conan is captured by the Hyperboreans...and The Thing in the Crypt (also by DeCamp) has him escaping in from the Hyperboreans in early spring...right about the time that he would just be arriving back in Asgard, if he was returning from Conan the Bold. Publication History * (novel) • John Maddox Roberts • Tor April 1989 * Reprinted June 1997 References Category:Conan book Category:Conan story Category:Conan novel